1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a monitoring system and, more particularly, a system for monitoring behavior patterns of individuals and other animated objects which effectively distinguishes between alarming and non-alarming patterns.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, conventional monitoring systems are often audiovisual systems 100 that employ audio and video equipment to monitor individuals. In such systems, microphones 101 and cameras 102 are used to detect behavior patterns (e.g., a monitored person lying in a bed between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a. m., showering between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., etc) as they occur. Signals representing such patterns are transmitted from the microphones and cameras to a video display 103 and speakers 104 which are monitored continuously by a human monitor 105. When the human monitor 105 observes an alarming behavior pattern (e.g., the monitored person lying on the floor, the monitored person not in bed at midnight, etc.), the human monitor may take corrective action (e.g., tend to an elderly person whose behavior patterns are being monitored) or report such alarming pattern to the appropriate person or agency (e.g. a nurse who can tend to such elderly person).
However, such audiovisual systems are intrusive, inefficient and costly. For example, a video signal requires substantial bandwidth making it burdensome and costly to transmit. Further, the use of a human monitor is costly and subject to human error. Human monitors must be trained and must remain in close proximity to the monitored individual. In the case of video observation, the low rate of alarming events (visual changes in the scene) often lead to poor attention by support people and the possibility of ignoring an alarming event. Therefore, if the human monitor is not active and vigilant, an alarming pattern can be easily overlooked. Furthermore, such systems are unnecessarily intrusive into the lives of the persons being monitored because the human monitor""s observations are not limited to just alarming behavior patterns, but must include each and every action of the person being monitored.
Other conventional monitoring systems include motion sensing systems which use motion sensors to detect movement in a space being monitored. Motion sensors are typically photosensors that detect moving objects based on discrete approximations of space or time. In such systems, the sensors are connected to an alarm circuit which typically has an audible alarm. However, such motion sensing monitoring systems monitor only a predefined space, not monitor behavior patterns of individuals. This severely limits the utility of such systems. Further, Generally, such systems do not distinguish between motion caused by a person and motion from any other entity of comparable size or with a comparable extent of motion. In addition, such systems do not distinguish between a monitored individual and a non-monitored individual. In either case, regardless of whether the individual detected is monitored or non-monitored, if such a system is active and functioning properly, then it will alarm upon the individual entering the space.
Therefore, motion sensing systems do not detect alarming behavior patterns. For example, such systems cannot monitor elderly individuals with alzheimer""s disease to detect when such individuals are not in bed at a certain hour or are lying on the floor of their room, etc. Similarly, such systems cannot monitor infants to detect when such infants are not in their cribs, or are near dangerous objects such as windows or appliances, etc. Nor can such systems monitor warehouses or retail shopping areas to detect behavior patterns that would indicate theft.
Another conventional system is an infrared monitoring system which uses infrared sensors to monitor spaces such as museums and banks. Infrared sensors operate based on Stefan-Boltzmann""s law that every body radiates an energy proportional to a fourth power of an absolute temperature of the body. Such sensors typically detect radiant energy emitted from bodies, human or otherwise, within a wavelength range from approximately 6 to 15 micrometers.
A monitoring system utilizing infrared sensors is disclosed, for example, in Weiser et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,976). Infrared sensors used in such systems include a housing with an entrance window which is transparent to the infrared radiation, focusing optics, one or more infrared sensors, and an electrical signal evaluation circuit. Such systems further include an alarm circuit which typically has an audible alarm.
With such a system, if an intruder enters the space monitored by the infrared detector, his infrared body radiation enters through the entrance window into the detector and is focused by the focusing optics onto the infrared sensors. The infrared sensors output a signal to the circuit which amplifies the signal and compares it to a predetermined threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, then an intrusion alarm signal is generated.
However, infrared systems also have their shortcomings. For example, like other monitoring systems, existing infrared systems either detect an alarming event or they don""t. These systems typically provide no additional information (e.g., duration, specific location, frequency of occurrence, etc.) about the event. In other words, these systems have no ability to interpret a pattern of behavior and select from a variety of potential responses.
In addition, conventional infrared systems, similar to motion sensing systems, monitor only a predefined space, not behavior patterns of individuals. Thus, like motion sensing systems, such infrared systems are limited in utility. For example, such systems cannot distinguish between a monitored individual and a non-monitored individual. In either case, regardless of whether the individual is monitored, if such a system is active and functioning properly, it will alarm upon the individual entering the space. Furthermore, because conventional infrared systems have simple and nondiscriminating detectors, the systems often detect events that aren""t actually alarming and are, therefore, result in a high false/positive response rate.
Therefore, as with other systems, conventional infrared systems cannot effectively monitor behavior patterns and detect alarming behavior patterns that would indicate, for example, theft in a warehouse or retail store, or a potential harm to an infant or an alzheimer""s patient.
In view of the foregoing and other problems, it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for monitoring behavior patterns of individuals which effectively distinguishes between alarming and non-alarming behavior patterns.
In a first aspect, a system for monitoring behavior patterns includes sensors for detecting behavior patterns, a memory device for storing behavior patterns, a processor for comparing detected behavior patterns with standard behavior patterns and activating a response when the detected behavior pattern and at least one standard behavior pattern have a predetermined relationship, such as when the detected data matches the stored data, or which the detected data differs from stored data.
The system may include a plurality of sensors which are interconnected and the sensors may be infrared sensors for detecting infrared radiation. For example, the infrared sensor may detect a variation in radiant energy of less than one Kelvin. The system may use the multiple sensors to detect behavior patterns comprised of sequences of patterns, compare the detected behavior patterns to the standard behavior patterns, generate a signal to activate additional sensors to detect supplementary data, and transmit this supplementary data to a remote location.
The memory device may be a conventional semiconductor memory device. Further, the processor may be an adaptive processor programmed with a learning algorithm so that the system xe2x80x9clearnsxe2x80x9d new standard behavior patterns while it operates and xe2x80x9cforgetsxe2x80x9d old standard behavior patterns that may no longer be considered alarming.
The response activated may also include additional sensors for collecting additional information. The response may also include a human response, an audiovisual or photographic device or an auto-dialer which makes a call to the police, ambulance, etc.
In a second embodiment, a method of monitoring behavior patterns includes storing standard behavior patterns, detecting behavior patterns, comparing detected behavior patterns to standard behavior patterns, and activating a response when a detected behavior pattern and at least one standard behavior pattern have a predetermined relationship, such as when the detected data matches the standard data, or which the detected data differs from standard data.
The inventive method may also employ multiple sensors to detect behavior patterns comprised of sequences of patterns, compare the detected behavior pattern data to the standard behavior patterns, and activate a response that may include additional sensors to detect supplementary data, and transmit this supplementary data a remote location.
With the novel features of the claimed invention, the behavior patterns of individuals can be monitored with an improved ability to distinguish between alarming and non-alarming behavior patterns. In addition, based on the behavior pattern detected, the claimed invention may initiate a variety of responses, such as the collection of additional data from a plurality of heterogeneous sensors. Moreover, the system at the device level and at the aggregation of devices level, can discover patterns that should be categorized as alarming (or normal) and incrementally alter what conditions precipitate the transmission of an alarm or other information.